Lift truck industry celebrates National Forklift Safety Day 2024 with special offers and events
Here are just a few of the ways forklift manufacturers and dealers will be helping fleet managers and operators observe this year’s National Forklift Safety Day.
The main event for National Forklift Safety Day 2024 will be a conference featuring presentations by OSHA, forklift manufacturers, and industrial safety experts, hosted by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) on June 11 in Washington, D.C. The two-hour program, which begins at 9 a.m. Eastern, is free and open to all, but advance registration is required. Can’t be there in person? You can attend virtually! Click here to register for the livestream.
In addition to the Washington program, lift truck manufacturers, dealers, and providers of associated products and services will offer training classes, webinars, and other information resources to help customers keep forklift safety top of mind. The following are just a few examples:
Yale Lift Truck Technologies is recognizing National Forklift Safety Day by offering two FREE webinars focusing on lift truck safety:
On June 12 at 3 p.m. Eastern, Yale’s live webinar will walk attendees through considerations for establishing a culture of safety. Safety and technology experts will share unique tips for training new staff, explain best practices for developing accountability, and demonstrate award-winning operator assistance technology. Click here for more information and to register.
DC Velocity readers can access a special National Forklift Safety Day webinar, in which a representative from North Carolina’s Occupational Safety & Health division discusses the OSHA national emphasis program for warehouse safety. Gain a stronger understanding of the federal and state-level emphasis programs being adopted and adapted across the country, and learn how you can identify threats without risk of a citation. Click here to access the FREE program on demand.
On June 24 at 3 p.m. Eastern, Hyster Company’s Hyster Move Ahead Mondays will offer a live webinar titled “What can your operation do to build a strong foundation for safety?” The webinar will feature an environmental health and safety (EHS) manager and a training expert who will walk attendees through the most important aspects for evaluating safety in facilities. They’ll also share guidance to help operations deliver engaging, OSHA-compliant training. Click here for more information and to register.
The Raymond Corporation is saluting the thousands of forklift operators around the globe who keep our supply chain running smoothly. With a focus on reinforcing operator best practices and training, Raymond is celebrating National Forklift Safety Day by offering a $20 discount on the e-learning version of the Safety On The Move® Operator Training Program. The discount will be available for the month of June. “The immersive training that operators receive with this program helps entire facilities find and secure a unique rhythm. The training minimizes inefficiencies, ensures a secure operation, and increases productivity,” said Michael Field, president and CEO, The Raymond Corporation. Find out more about how Raymond is helping facilities find their groove by visiting the company’s National Forklift Safety Day webpage, featuring operator-training and operator-assist tools.
In recognition of the 11th Annual National Forklift Safety Day, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas is participating in several safety-focused activities:
Logisnext executives will attend the 11th Annual Industrial Truck Association (ITA) National Forklift Safety Day event in Washington, D.C., where industry experts will share great insights on safety practices.
On June 11 and 12, employees across Logisnext’s three campuses will come together for a day of safety-focused activities, proudly wearing their commemorative t-shirts as a symbol of their commitment to safety.
The Logisnext dealer network was equipped with forklift safety resources and tools to help promote the “Together We Lift – Together We Stay Safe” campaign among dealership customers during the month of June.
In recognition of the Industrial Truck Association’s (ITA) 11th annual National Forklift Safety Day, Toyota Material Handling is sharing educational resources on innovative technology and forklift safety best practices with dealers and forklift operators. ITA chair Brett Wood, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America, and this year’s National Forklift Safety Day chair, Cesar Jimenez, Toyota’s vice president of regulatory affairs, product planning, and product assurance, will play key roles in ITA’s June 11 event in Washington, D.C. In addition, Toyota Material Handling is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its System of Active Stability™ (SAS), which revolutionized the material handling industry by reducing the likelihood of forklift tip over.
The Port of Oakland has been awarded $50 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to modernize wharves and terminal infrastructure at its Outer Harbor facility, the port said today.
Those upgrades would enable the Outer Harbor to accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), which are now a regular part of the shipping fleet calling on West Coast ports. Each of these ships has a handling capacity of up to 24,000 TEUs (20-foot containers) but are currently restricted at portions of Oakland’s Outer Harbor by aging wharves which were originally designed for smaller ships.
According to the port, those changes will let it handle newer, larger vessels, which are more efficient, cost effective, and environmentally cleaner to operate than older ships. Specific investments for the project will include: wharf strengthening, structural repairs, replacing container crane rails, adding support piles, strengthening support beams, and replacing electrical bus bar system to accommodate larger ship-to-shore cranes.
Commercial fleet operators are steadily increasing their use of GPS fleet tracking, in-cab video solutions, and predictive analytics, driven by rising costs, evolving regulations, and competitive pressures, according to an industry report from Verizon Connect.
Those conclusions come from the company’s fifth annual “Fleet Technology Trends Report,” conducted in partnership with Bobit Business Media, and based on responses from 543 fleet management professionals.
The study showed that for five consecutive years, at least four out of five respondents have reported using at least one form of fleet technology, said Atlanta-based Verizon Connect, which provides fleet and mobile workforce management software platforms, embedded OEM hardware, and a connected vehicle device called Hum by Verizon.
The most commonly used of those technologies is GPS fleet tracking, with 69% of fleets across industries reporting its use, the survey showed. Of those users, 72% find it extremely or very beneficial, citing improved efficiency (62%) and a reduction in harsh driving/speeding events (49%).
Respondents also reported a focus on safety, with 57% of respondents citing improved driver safety as a key benefit of GPS fleet tracking. And 68% of users said in-cab video solutions are extremely or very beneficial. Together, those technologies help reduce distracted driving incidents, improve coaching sessions, and help reduce accident and insurance costs, Verizon Connect said.
Looking at the future, fleet management software is evolving to meet emerging challenges, including sustainability and electrification, the company said. "The findings from this year's Fleet Technology Trends Report highlight a strong commitment across industries to embracing fleet technology, with GPS tracking and in-cab video solutions consistently delivering measurable results,” Peter Mitchell, General Manager, Verizon Connect, said in a release. “As fleets face rising costs and increased regulatory pressures, these technologies are proving to be indispensable in helping organizations optimize their operations, reduce expenses, and navigate the path toward a more sustainable future.”
Businesses engaged in international trade face three major supply chain hurdles as they head into 2025: the disruptions caused by Chinese New Year (CNY), the looming threat of potential tariffs on foreign-made products that could be imposed by the incoming Trump Administration, and the unresolved contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), according to an analysis from trucking and logistics provider Averitt.
Each of those factors could lead to significant shipping delays, production slowdowns, and increased costs, Averitt said.
First, Chinese New Year 2025 begins on January 29, prompting factories across China and other regions to shut down for weeks, typically causing production to halt and freight demand to skyrocket. The ripple effects can range from increased shipping costs to extended lead times, disrupting even the most well-planned operations. To prepare for that event, shippers should place orders early, build inventory buffers, secure freight space in advance, diversify shipping modes, and communicate with logistics providers, Averitt said.
Second, new or increased tariffs on foreign-made goods could drive up the cost of imports, disrupt established supply chains, and create uncertainty in the marketplace. In turn, shippers may face freight rate volatility and capacity constraints as businesses rush to stockpile inventory ahead of tariff deadlines. To navigate these challenges, shippers should prepare advance shipments and inventory stockpiling, diversity sourcing, negotiate supplier agreements, explore domestic production, and leverage financial strategies.
Third, unresolved contract negotiations between the ILA and the USMX will come to a head by January 15, when the current contract expires. Labor action or strikes could cause severe disruptions at East and Gulf Coast ports, triggering widespread delays and bottlenecks across the supply chain. To prepare for the worst, shippers should adopt a similar strategy to the other potential January threats: collaborate early, secure freight, diversify supply chains, and monitor policy changes.
According to Averitt, companies can cushion the impact of all three challenges by deploying a seamless, end-to-end solution covering the entire path from customs clearance to final-mile delivery. That strategy can help businesses to store inventory closer to their customers, mitigate delays, and reduce costs associated with supply chain disruptions. And combined with proactive communication and real-time visibility tools, the approach allows companies to maintain control and keep their supply chains resilient in the face of global uncertainties, Averitt said.
Bloomington, Indiana-based FTR said its Trucking Conditions Index declined in September to -2.47 from -1.39 in August as weakness in the principal freight dynamics – freight rates, utilization, and volume – offset lower fuel costs and slightly less unfavorable financing costs.
Those negative numbers are nothing new—the TCI has been positive only twice – in May and June of this year – since April 2022, but the group’s current forecast still envisions consistently positive readings through at least a two-year forecast horizon.
“Aside from a near-term boost mostly related to falling diesel prices, we have not changed our Trucking Conditions Index forecast significantly in the wake of the election,” Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking, said in a release. “The outlook continues to be more favorable for carriers than what they have experienced for well over two years. Our analysis indicates gradual but steadily rising capacity utilization leading to stronger freight rates in 2025.”
But FTR said its forecast remains unchanged. “Just like everyone else, we’ll be watching closely to see exactly what trade and other economic policies are implemented and over what time frame. Some freight disruptions are likely due to tariffs and other factors, but it is not yet clear that those actions will do more than shift the timing of activity,” Vise said.
The TCI tracks the changes representing five major conditions in the U.S. truck market: freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel prices, and financing costs. Combined into a single index indicating the industry’s overall health, a positive score represents good, optimistic conditions while a negative score shows the inverse.
Specifically, the new global average robot density has reached a record 162 units per 10,000 employees in 2023, which is more than double the mark of 74 units measured seven years ago.
Broken into geographical regions, the European Union has a robot density of 219 units per 10,000 employees, an increase of 5.2%, with Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia in the global top ten. Next, North America’s robot density is 197 units per 10,000 employees – up 4.2%. And Asia has a robot density of 182 units per 10,000 persons employed in manufacturing - an increase of 7.6%. The economies of Korea, Singapore, mainland China and Japan are among the top ten most automated countries.
Broken into individual countries, the U.S. ranked in 10th place in 2023, with a robot density of 295 units. Higher up on the list, the top five are:
The Republic of Korea, with 1,012 robot units, showing a 5% increase on average each year since 2018 thanks to its strong electronics and automotive industries.
Singapore had 770 robot units, in part because it is a small country with a very low number of employees in the manufacturing industry, so it can reach a high robot density with a relatively small operational stock.
China took third place in 2023, surpassing Germany and Japan with a mark of 470 robot units as the nation has managed to double its robot density within four years.
Germany ranks fourth with 429 robot units for a 5% CAGR since 2018.
Japan is in fifth place with 419 robot units, showing growth of 7% on average each year from 2018 to 2023.